The Living Code
by Saniwa
Summary: The past cursed him to a fate worse than death using the hands of his blood father. The present haunts him with the shadow of betrayal of a father he’d ever trusted. And the future will mold him under the influence of a father he'd sworn his loyalty to.


+ The Living Code +

/A memento of a loving father whom God had destined for me not to know./

**Summary:** When a certain Hebi-Sannin took the Kyuubi and its prison away right after the sealing, more than a decade later, Namikaze Minato will be facing his most difficult trials. As a Hokage, he is to ensure the well-being of his people; and yet along with it as a father, he is to awaken his only son from a never-ending nightmare worse than death. However, there are codes of life that are never meant to be broken, in which losses are indispensable in the path of accomplishment.

**Pairings:** Some Kitsune loving with no definite main pairing. However, there will be a wee bit of OroNaru in later chapters.

**Rating:** PG-13 for now

**Words:** 1696

**Warning: **OMG LI3K THIS IS AU! Killer SPOILERS. Angst, drama, violence, war, characters death, and all that jazz.

Standard disclaimers apply.

"TALK"_ 'THOUGHT'_ _LINES_

* * *

_The sky glows crimson. Of blood. _

_-_

_The wind carries the scent. Of fear. _

_-_

_The earth gives an anguished call. Of death. _

_-_

_And all humans tremble…_

………………………………………………………………………

**Prologue: Choices** **(That We Made)**

_"From now on, I will not blink when I turn over._

_For in a matter of seconds, my life changed." _  
…………………………………………………………………………

The small chamber was dim.

Only six standing candles encircled a small bundle, guiding a pair of wildly wandering hands that sprung up from inside the said bundle. An infant with creamy white skin and thick lashes around his closed eyes was lying on it in his peaceful slumber. A distinct contrast of what was happening around him. If one possessed any shinobi-like senses, he could make out four far bigger silhouettes that sat with no sound nor an inch of motion in the darkness, forming a larger circle.

Implementing the seriousness of it all, one of the said figures shifted in apprehension and questioned, "How much longer do you think Hokage-sama will take?"

"Be quiet and stop fidgeting, Toriichi!" snapped the other, finally irritated and fed up with the Chuunin's nagging, whiny enquiries.

"I- I'm sorry, Iwashi-sempai," the younger one stuttered, he had to purse his lip to keep from commenting on how the Jounin kept glancing from side to side warily though, trying their hardest to tune out the sound of fierce fighting outside.

And barely twenty miles from the tower they were currently residing in, death was leering dangerously close. The gigantic shape of a red fox with nine tails engulfed within blazing crimson chakra made even the most fearsome shinobi fall to their knees.

Suddenly, an extremely loud inhuman cry of pure fury resounded, replacing the tension felt by the group of shinobi in guard with trepidation, shaking the entirety of one of the five most powerful hidden villages, crawling up to the tallest tower in the parish, and reaching even watch posts miles away, before a loud gush of wind knocked them all.

The silence amidst them went on for an eternity before the four men who declared themselves as shinobi were finally able to get a grip on themselves, and quickly scrambled to their feet.

"Is… it over?"

For a moment, nobody said anything. As if hearing their prayers the silence was shattered forcefully. A wooden double door was opened with a loud bang and instinctively every ninja there crouched to a ready position. Their frantic breathing smothered the broken door's sound as it clung, pitifully, to its one remaining hinge.

"Who's there?"

"State your name!" Steadily, hands inched towards their weapons. In no time, kunai and shuriken were ready in them. Gripped tightly.

A white shoulder-length haired boy, no older than an academy student, darted in, completely ignoring his irregular harsh breathing, all the time blocking any little light from the equally dimmed hall outside. A quick glimpse to the forehead protector gleaming eerily in the darkness affirmed everything.

"You're NOT allowed to be here!"

"Ku-Kushina-sama… Orochimaru… all the Jounin… not enough ninja…"

Wide eyed, it did not take the rest of whatever this Genin had intended to say regarding Yondaime's wife in the first place for them to figure it out. _'Why now? Of all times.'_ When every single shinobi available was fighting the village's greatest threat…

The one in charge, Iwashi, immediately, barked orders to all his comrades. And with an amazing speed, three Jounin sped up to the other door, which could take them to the base faster. However, even before they were able to pass the messenger, all of them fell to the ground… dead.

The last standing one, a Chuunin, followed suit. He was caught off guard by a mere Genin in his panic.

"Three Jounin _and_ a Chuunin! You've grown careless, Sensei, Minato-kun," a hissing voice with undisguised malice in it stated, "I'm disappointed."

Stepping out of the darkness a lifeless mask of a face took form, illuminated by the moonlight that seeped in through windowpanes at the top of the Hokage tower. Two yellow reptilian eyes glinted dangerously.

Orochimaru looked down at the still crying bundle. Thick golden crown of hair and piercing sapphire eyes; one must be a total idiot not to figure out the boy's heritage. Crystalline tears poured freely from the corners of those pained eyes as demonic red chakra slowly seeped back into the baby's body, leaving only a tingling yet suffocating sense of death in the air. Three distinct lines that could only be interpreted as whiskers on the boys' cheeks along with a large glaring, though gradually fading, seal in a form of spiral on his abdomen were visible in the semi-darkness.

Gulping and collecting his courage, Mizuki dared himself to walk closer to the tall looming figure in black cloak, red clouds embellishing, "Is that… the Kyuubi?"

"Yesss," hissed Orochimaru, picking up the still weeping child. Someone who knew Orochimaru very well would have wondered whether his reply held more meanings. However, since his back was still facing the youth, the Sannin's prehensile and maniacal smirk went unnoticed.

"THE VILE MONSTER! MURDERER!" The teen didn't even realize he was drawing nearer, boldly, at each step taken on the bloodied floor, let alone a response from the other or lack thereof, gritting his teeth due to the pain of disappointment for the loss which was supposed to be done by his own hands.

"You just made one ominous mistake, Minato-kun, for yourself and for Konoha," this 'promising' future was merely whispered, unheard even by the wind goddess, faded to darkness, and so full of anticipation; yet, belying its undertone, Orochimaru was staring down at his early birthday gift hungrily, _'PERFECT!' _

"That's why we have to kill it, the demon," the boy's face scrunched up in disgust.

"My… my… what a fine thinking. You will be a very good ninja one day, Mizuki-kun."

Touji Mizuki grinned insanely.

His plan for the future was impeccable. Now, he did not have to put up with Iruka's antics. From now on, he not needed to bear any fake compassionate smiles for his weak fellow Genin. Soon, he would prove the scarred nose boy who was a better fighter. A matter of parents was no longer an issue; power was what was all-important. His grin turned into a lunatic's breathy chuckle. His quest for power had unexpectedly led him to crossing Orchimaru's path, one of the strongest shinobi Konoha ever produced.

If not the strongest, in his opinion.

He could not believe his luck.

Too preoccupied with his growing enthusiasm, he did not realize Orochimaru's eyes on him all the time. The snake scanned the power hungry quisling next to him calculatingly; _'There will be no need of him anymore. Only liability… Besides, fewer people know the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi no Kitsune's whereabouts, the better for my plan.'_

Even before the boy managed to catch the faint rustling of his soon-to-be killer's robes Orochimaru's ultimate choice were clearly spoken, "But… I never share my power with someone who holds no use anymore," with that said, darkness was the last thing Mizuki saw and the abyss of hell he would succumb to in the next seconds grew brighter. With a dull thump, his living role was over.

However, the costs of this treachery would bring greater, unimaginable damage for years, if not decades, to come. His death and blood were far from sufficient to pay the insufferable pain and tears he had wrought upon others.

Nevertheless, let us not forget that destiny was nobody's friend.

Adding the last touch to his scheme, satisfied with the decoration he made with the chamber's walls and tiles, Orochimaru forced his precious weapon into Mizuki's cold hand's grasp, observing, and was pleased when the grip started hardening; despite the fact that, he would need another finer sword. He couldn't let his Kinjutsu skill gone rusty now. Besides, no matter how troublesome Akatsuki was, the bunch had good eyes on artifacts.

Such as Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Kuu no Tachi.

With an elegant leap, as expected from a ninja on his level, Orochimaru landed gracefully on one of the tree branches through one of the larger skylights. The moment of silence on the mountain on the back of the Hokage tower after the greatest battle ever happened in Konoha was eerie, but it suited Orochimaru just fine, whom at that time chose to quiet the infant down with a simpler version of Nehan Souja, for he did not want to attract any unwanted attentions, not even with his summoning.

There were some red splashes on the child's whiskered face. Orochimaru brushed long ghostlike fingers against smooth cheeks to wipe the blood away. The touch alone might be mistaken as an affectionate one if not for his words, "I cannot wait to nurture your innocence into the darkness you're destined to."

And his abnormally long tongue traced the soft baby skin. A devil's viselike grip devouring every remnant of innocence left.

Throwing one last glance over his shoulder, Orochimaru faked sadness, "Sayonara, Sarutobi-sensei. I'm sad knowing you won't be resting in peace," he paused, a corner of his lips twitching ever so often as the snake-like man was barely suppressing his glee, "Arigato, Minato-kun. Do not worry; we surely will meet again. Ja ne."

He leapt out the village massive walls, blending into the bleak darkness.

"Kukuku…"

* * *

That night, October 10th, not only Konoha suffered grievously. Albeit dozens of her children, fighters, and family had perished, the lives of many people had also changed. Nonetheless, none would feel greater pain than the two Namikaze, whose hands were ironically clasped in same gesture, conveying their deepest hopelessness. 

Namikaze Minato still clutched the motionless body of his predecessor, not knowing that he would be wishing death to claim him instead the next hour. And in unison, his unnamed newborn son, whose chubby hands fisted the front of Orochimaru's black cloak in desperation, trying to block the numbing coldness around him to no avail, not knowing what the left hand of darkness had in store for him.

The booming voice of Gamabunta, the lament of hundreds of names, which in the next day or two would be scribbled onto the cold blue memorial stone, and the pleading cry of the baby in his arms faded away in the background. To void.

Long midnight hair brushed by as Orochimaru's malicious laughter consumed them all.

T.S.U.Z.U.K.U

* * *

**Nehan Shouja no Jutsu ( Temple of Nirvana Technique)**: an incantation spell that allows the caster to place a large body of people into an intense and unconscious state. The spell, however, can be avoided by forming the tiger hand seal and using the dispel skill, dispersing it away.

**Note:** Orochimaru is such a perfect and _classic_ villain. He has everything that an I-don't-give-a-shit-to-people-suffering-as-long-as-I-get-what-I-want-cause-I'm-a-bad-guy needs. I have such a good time writing him. Next chapter will be presenting Konoha-Nin mostly. Yes, if you read and noticed that the Yondaime is alive, you are correct to think _some _particular events will change, making great differences with the canon plot. This is one of the most important points of this fic, after all. What will happen to Kabuto, the Uchiha the Hyuuga, the Akatsuki, etc? Are those changes good or bad?

**Trivia Quiz #1: Is there an OC in this chapter?**  
Yes.  
No.

**Think carefully and hard! Then post your answer along with your review. Reasonable explanation's non-compulsory. Next chapter's dedicated to those who answer correctly. **

**Lastly Read & Comment if you may, please.**

Thank you!  
Published – 01.24.2006  
Revised – 12.11.2006 by Amber  
Re-revised - 09.17.2007 (changed Naruto's parents' names)


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